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Thinking about architecture and portraiture

Portraits + Architecture is an experiment. In the twenty-first century the social, The exhibition at the National Portrait cultural and ecological imperatives Gallery presents the work of seven of architectural practice resonate leading Australian architect teams with strongly with artistic, philosophical commissioned photographic portraits and sociopolitical ideas and actions. by seven Australian photographers. Many architects, designers, artists and The participants have been asked to writers are interested in how issues think about their creative practice in of sustainability and ethics relate to a new way. Portraits + Architecture innovation and creativity in technology, explores the relationship between aesthetics and functionality. We are creative thinking and identity and increasingly aware of the impact of incorporates new photographic portraits the built environment on our daily of creative individuals and groups. lives, how the design of our dwellings, The architect teams are known for workplaces and public spaces affects our their contemporary and highly distinctive psychological and physical wellbeing. work. They have made significant Portraits + Architecture explores contributions to Australian architecture the thinking that informs creative and design culture. The photographers architecture practice rather than work across a spectrum of fine art, the details of specific buildings or commercial, and design practice and architectural projects. The selection of have produced bold and original the participating architect teams was photographic portraits for the exhibition. based on the original nature of their 20 portrait 33 portrait 33 21

practice. As a group, they represent a photographer to create a suite of portrait Portrait of CO-AP 2009 in the exhibition entry zone, where diversity of scale, working from different photographs in response to a defined Ross Honeysett visitors are invited to participate in locations in . The everyday brief. The portrait photographs are opposite: interactive activities. The installation work of each architect team is marked presented in monochromatic black and Portrait of Denton concepts were developed over time, and by their unique personality, attitude and white and based on the modular unit of Corker Marshall 2009 a number of them anticipate a degree John Gollings aesthetic. the international standard a1 paper size of improvisation and responsiveness to Each architect team was asked to of 594 x 841mm. This common format previous: their presentation in the gallery space. create an installation that reflects their serves to connect the diverse installation Portrait of co-ap (Collaborative Architecture Troppo Architects 2009 creative philosophy. The exhibition projects throughout the exhibition while David Lancashire Practice) is based in . The team excludes traditional architecture allowing each photographer to create of three directors Tina Engelen, Will models and plans. The installations an individual interpretation of their Fung and Charles Markell invited can be considered as a self portrait subjects. photographer Ross Honeysett to create of the architects’ practice. Variously The exhibition appears like a studio their portrait. co-ap endeavour to incorporating photographic, video, and environment. Each installation and realise unique outcomes for each project, three-dimensional elements mounted suite of portrait photographs occupies achieved through a strong and reliable in the gallery space, the installations are a distinct zone, while relationships collaborative process that is initiated at evocative and open-ended. between the installations are present an early stage, with emphasis on research The experimental exploration of through overlapping sightlines. Several and development, program, context and identity through creative process is of the installations invite the interaction sustainability. For this exhibition the matched to the more immediate form of the visitor. There is a spirit of team invites the visitor to experience of photographic portraiture. Each experimentation and playfulness as their three-dimensional domain architect team was asked to invite a a generator of creativity, introduced assembled using a mass-produced 22 portrait 33

product. The installation is echoed in Portrait of Johnson of the creative thinking process. Ingvar Kenne to create their portrait their paper cup construction activity Pilton Walker, inside the Founding directors John Denton, photographs. The design of the Gallery National Portrait Gallery, that encourages exhibition visitors to , 25 hours Bill Corker and Barrie Marshall have is defined by human scale and responds explore assemblages using small modular 31 minutes, 22-23 May invited renowned photographer of to the natural environment in which the units. Photographer Ross Honeysett 2009 2009 architecture John Gollings to create building is sited, particularly Canberra’s Ingvar Kenne has produced a large composition their portrait. Gollings’s professional unique natural light. For the exhibition, incorporating a1 modules. Honeysett’s practice incorporates collaborations in the team have created an installation dynamic portrait of co-ap captures the graphic design and three dimensional centred on the actual table used to team’s vibrant enthusiasm, energy and virtual modelling. His cosmos of portrait design the building from competition to optimism to imagine fresh solutions for a images of Denton Corker Marshall completion. Photographer Ingvar Kenne densely concentrated future. His image includes abstracted images based on produced a suite of portrait photographs is pure and unembellished to instantly backlit profiles of the team. Gollings that depict each member of the team in reveal this idea. says this reflects the ‘sparse and elegant’ the entry hall of Gallery. ‘We wanted to Denton Corker Marshall is based nature of their architecture and its convey the transformation of a space in with offices in ‘play on repetition, undulation and during a day and night and incorporate and . One of the world’s leading convergence’. the portrait of each architect’, says design practices, Denton Corker Johnson Pilton Walker designed Kenne. ‘Each one of them was asked Marshall has developed a distinctive the National Portrait Gallery building. to turn up in the clothes they wanted to architectural language that explores Sydney-based directors Richard wear and where they appeared in the the fusing of art, architecture and Johnson, Adrian Pilton, Jeff Walker, frame was dictated by the moment rather tectonics. The team’s installation for Graeme Dix, Kiong Lee and Paul than being planned. We were excited the exhibition reveals the fluid nature van Ratingen invited photographer having the opportunity to photograph portrait 33 25

them in the space they designed, Portrait of offers a portrait of place. The portraits says his portrait of Sean Godsell ‘uses knowing that these portraits would end Kerstin Thompson of Kerstin Thompson Architects, taken the two elements common to all of his Architects 2009 up hanging inside the same space during Luis Ferreiro by Luis Ferreiro within the office and buildings – the use of strong minimalist the exhibition.’ These are the first on site, informally capture some of the space and surfaces, and his intelligent commissioned portraits created in the Portrait of people, spaces and processes through use of light and its interplay within three Sean Godsell 2009 National Portrait Gallery. Earl Carter which architecture is made. dimensions’. Carter’s image has not For Kerstin Thompson, Principal of Sean Godsell, director of Sean been manipulated, and is ‘a homage to Melbourne-based Kerstin Thompson Godsell Architects based in Melbourne, the traditional photographic portrait, Architects, architecture represents is known internationally for his giving the photograph a sculptural and enriches the relationship between distinctive residential architecture integrity for which the architect’s the building, the site and the client. It including single family dwellings like buildings have become renowned’. is necessarily a portrait of the people St Andrew’s Beach House and Glenburn terroir directors Gerard Reinmuth and place for which it has been created. House to ‘compassionate infrastructure’ (Sydney), Scott Balmforth (Hobart) In this installation Thompson has projects such as the Park Bench House and Richard Blythe (Melbourne) selected a handful of projects by Kerstin and Bus Shelter House that provide believe that the practice of architecture Thompson Architects and, through her refuge for displaced persons in the is the production of knowledge. The own photographs, documented these urban environment. His Future Shack team’s architectural projects include to reveal something about the way in concept, a mass produced relocatable the ‘discussions, lectures, research, which they are used and enjoyed. The emergency housing unit made from exhibitions and explorations that naturalistic approach evokes the warmth recycled shipping containers. Godsell work through the issues relevant to of the lived experience within sensitively has created a wall-work for the each project’. The team’s philosophy designed buildings and landscapes and exhibition. Photographer Earl Carter is informed by the imperative of 26 portrait 33 portrait 33 27

architectural practice to ‘engage with Portrait of showing the photographic working have invited photographer and designer complex interconnected and overlapping terroir 2009 nature of the portrait’. David Lancashire to create a set of Brett Boardman systems’. terroir have collaborated The studios of Troppo Architects portraits that situate the team in five with artist John Vella to create a screen- Portrait of Troppo are located away from Australia’s diverse, immersive, and highly-textured based installation for the exhibition. Architects 2009 major urban centres. Their work is natural environments. ‘In these portraits David Lancashire The 16 minute three-screen projected characterised by its responsiveness to I wanted to show the strong connection loop was edited and post produced by the local environment and climate, its Troppo Architects have with a sense of Mark Cornelius at Clockwork Beehive. In dynamism of ‘adjustable skins’, and place’ says Lancashire. ‘The way their his portrait of terroir, photographer its connectivity of interior and exterior Architecture responds to and sits at one Brett Boardman says he wanted to spaces. The team states that they aim to with country, is inseparable from their emphasise ‘the role of landscape and develop ‘a non-constant architecture understanding of the ancient rhythms place in their work’ and ‘the disparate that responds to the morning, the and culture of this great Continent.’ landscapes that the three directors evening, the season, the heat, the cold, Portraits + Architecture is accompanied operate within’. Boardman has chosen the sun, the rain, the moment that will by a dedicated website at portrait.gov.au to ‘isolate them from this natural setting never pass again’. The team’s installation that includes documentation of the and unify them by providing a blank reflects the responsiveness to place and exhibition installations, the portrait “virtual” and common background to moment that informs their work. The photographs, links to the participants’ each’. The disparate landscapes are directors Greg McNamara and Lena Yali websites, and informal discussions with connected by the team’s two offices. (Darwin), Zammi Rohan (Townsville), the architects in response to questions Boardman says ‘the apparatus of the Phil Harris and Cary Duffield (Adelaide, about their inspirations, creative photograph – the stands, clamps and Byron Bay) and Adrian Welke (Perth), thinking processes, and identity. sandbags – remain as part of the image ‘with lots of help from our friends’, christopher chapman